Paywall as ‘Velvet Rope’

People may not to be willing to pay to read news, but they are highly willing to pay to feel cool. In this spirit, Daily Varietyis pitching paywall-protected content as an exclusive fortress of coolness, wherein only the elite may venture:

Think of the paywall as a velvet rope, allowing you access to stories that have been confirmed by impartial sources and stories that will better inform you about the world you’re working in. Denied access behind the rope are items based on gossip, half-truths and anonymous rants.

We will ignore the sloppy use of metaphor (are the readers club patrons, or are the stories? Both, somehow?) and focus instead on imagining our favorite periodicals as hip nightlife destinations.

“Hey, let’s go to The New York Times, my friend totally knows the bouncer.”